The longest day: door still open for Kewell

Michael Lynch

Playing it Kewell ... the deadline for the star's move to Melbourne Victory is a matter of contention. Photo: Vince Caligiuri

WHEN is August 4 not August 4? When one party is in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern.

Melbourne Victory, having given Harry Kewell and his manager, Bernie Mandic, until the end of yesterday to decide on whether he was signing for the A-League club, were at pains last night to point out that despite not having had an answer from the Socceroo veteran, the door was still open - for a few hours more at least.

Kewell, whose family is still based in England, and Mandic, who lives in Paris, have until 8 am or 9 am today, Australian time, to make a definitive call.

''There has been a lot of talk about a deadline of close of business Thursday or 5 pm Thursday but although we put a day we never put a time on it,'' a Victory source said yesterday.

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yesterday. ''We need to complete our roster in the next couple of weeks.''

As well as being wooed by Melbourne and Sydney, Kewell is also understood to be in the sights of the rich Dubai side Al Ahli.

The club has recently signed the Chilean international Luis Jimenez, and has been chasing Inter Milan's Brazilian centre-back Lucio.

Also complicating matters in any Kewell deal is that the Socceroo's wife, the actress Sheree Murphy, is four months' pregnant with the couple's fourth child.

Victory's stance can be viewed in two ways: either the club is desperate to make what would be a signing coup, and do not mind copping some criticism for extending their deadline or they are not overly bothered whether they get him or not but, for form's sake and to stave off any criticism from Mandic or desperate supporters, are happy to push the envelope so no one will say that they have not tried as hard as possible to get Kewell over the line.